Pauline Ferrand-Prevot signs with Visma-Lease a Bike: "I want to win the Tour"

It's official. After the rumors that have emerged in recent months, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the recent Olympic XCO champion in Paris 2024, has announced her return to road cycling with the team Visma-Lease a Bike for the 2025 season.

Pauline Ferrand Prevot leaves INEOS and signs with Visma-Lease a Bike 

The French cyclist, who has just won gold at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, has signed a three-year contract with the Dutch team, setting a date for her return to the road after five years in which she has competed in other disciplines such as mountain biking and cyclocross.

The signing of Ferrand-Prévot by the Dutch team was "an easy decision," in the words of the cyclist herself, because "the team's way of working and their professional approach attract me a lot."

The newly crowned Olympic champion is excited to return to competing at the highest level in road cycling, although she acknowledges that "women's cycling has advanced a lot since I left this sport." "I can't wait to return to the peloton. With the team's support, I am sure I can achieve great things again, so I am very motivated. I want to win the Women's Tour de France," she explained.

The Frenchwoman stated in statements collected in the team's press release that she is returning to the road after achieving the goal of the gold medal at the Games in search of new challenges. "Last winter, I was thinking about my future after the Olympic Games. I had been chasing an Olympic medal in mountain biking for 12 years. Now I have achieved that goal. I think it's time to face a new challenge in cycling," she justified.

She has the full confidence of the team

Visma-Lease a Bike, which already has high-profile cyclists like Marianne Vos and Fem van Empel, has welcomed Ferrand-Prévot with enthusiasm. Rutger Tijssen, director of the women's team, has highlighted the courage of the French Olympic champion to return to the road with the clear goal of winning the Tour.

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"With her Olympic gold medal, she has already completed mountain biking," he said. "I admire that she has made the brave decision to return to the road with a clear goal: to win the Tour de France," he added.

Although Ferrand-Prévot has been out of road competitions for five years, the Dutch team has full confidence in her to achieve great success, even though she may need some time to adapt. "We will give her time to return to road cycling. She will be our team leader in the Grand Tours, but she will also be able to compete in the classics," Tijssen concluded.